Love of a Lifetime
by ActressForLife
Summary: This is the final year for many at Hogwarts. Will these three ouples be able to survive the trials of love, loss, and growing up? Or will they fall apart forver?
1. Proluge

Prologue: Time

A careless touch

A short handhold

Our gazes lock

My story told

My feelings stir

Deep in my heart

I do not think

I want us to part

But life goes on

As it must

You smile at me

And gain my trust

You turn to leave

But you look back

I want to count the days

But I lose track

It's been so long

Since we last met

A day? A week?

Months, I bet

Will we ever

Meet again?

Another month?

Or maybe ten

You will always

Have my love

We fit together

Like hand in glove

"I miss them so"

Is what I say

But I think

I'll be okay

Time takes it's toll

On everyone

But always try

To keep the love


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Sorry the update took so long! I got all caught up in stuff and haven't had much time to write. I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner!**

Chapter One: Ron

_There she was. She looked stunning in her blue dress robes. She hadn't looked up yet. He sat and tried to muster up his courage. The band struck up a new song, this one slow. It was his chance. _Come on Ron, you can do this_ he said to himself, _Just go up to her and ask her to dance. _He stood up and strode over to her, his red hair flaming in the torch-light. Tapping her on the shoulder he swallowed and said "Hermione. May I have this dance?" She smiled, nodded, and took his hand. _Is this really happening? Did she actually say yes???_ His mind was in a frenzy, trying to comprehend what was happening. They began to dance and talk._

"_I've been waiting for this all night Ron. I really like you." She said._

"_And I really like you. I just didn't know you felt the same. I'm happy you do though." He replied, smiling. "Looks like everyone else is here. Want to go back up to the common room?"_

"_Yes." she grabbed his wrist and pulled off the dance floor, out of The Great Hall, and up to the Common Room. It was deserted, save one couple entwined on a couch in the corner. Ron pulled Hermione over to an armchair in the opposite corner and pulled her onto his lap._

"_Hermione?" he asked in a questioning voice._

"_Yeah?"_

"_I have a question..."_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Can I snog you?"_

"_I thought you'd never ask." She said and smiled. _

"_Oh Ron." Hermione sighed after they finished snogging. "Oh Ron. You're amazing." He held her close to him as he repeated his name over and over again. "Ron, Ron, Ron..."_

//\\//\\//\\//\\

"Ron...Ron...Ron!!!! Wake up!" _Thump._ Ron opened his eyes and sat up. He was on the floor with Harry standing over him. "You're going to be late for breakfast if you don't get your ass in gear and get dressed. And we can't afford to lose points on the first day."

"Shit! Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" He scrambled up and grabbed his clothes.

"I tried but you were sleeping like the dead. What were you dreaming about?" he asked.

"Nothing..." Ron replied in a not-so-convincing tone of voice. He sighed and finished getting dressed. _Nothing that could actually happen anyways,_ he thought.

"Oh you don't expect me to believe that, do you? You've been my best friend for 7 years Ron. Don't even try to lie to me. What were you dreaming about?" Ron sighed again. Who was he kidding. He couldn't lie to Harry. They'd been best friends since they were eleven. By this time they were hurrying down the corridor.

"You're going to laugh at me..." he said without looking up.

"_Ron._" Harry said in a warning tone.

"OK fine. I dreamed that I danced with Hermione at the Welcome Back ball and that she liked me too and we...we..." This was the hard part. The part that Ron was sure Harry would laugh at. "We snogged." There he said it. Harry was silent so Ron looked up to see Harry studying him intently. "What? Don't look at me like that. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Don't freak out. I'm just thinking..."Harry said defensively.

"About what?"

"About how much you like Hermione. And the fact that you need to ask her out and get it over with." For a moment Ron thought he was joking but then realized with a start that Harry was dead serious . Ron was horrified.

"N-no! I could never do that! W-what if she said..." He paused and took a deep breath. "What if she said no? It would be so awkward."

"First of all she won't say no. Second even if she did say no you would both get over it. And third if you don't ask her yourself I'll do it for you." Again Ron could tell he was serious.

"Fine I'll ask her. But I won't do it in front of anyone."

"All right you can ask her when we're studying in the library this evening. Pull her behind a book shelf or something." Harry was beaming. He was excited for his friend and some of that excitement rubbed off on Ron.

"Yeah...I can do this." He slowly smiled and the two friends walked into the Great Hall with a couple of other students. It was utterly silent. They hurried over to the Gryffindor table to listen to the start of term announcements.

Dumbledore looked around and his eyes sparkled. He began to speak loudly and clearly. "We have been through these announcements at the Sorting Ceremony last night but I'm sure many of you have already forgotten what was said so I'll refresh your memories. As you know we no longer need to fear Voldemort for our very own Harry Potter defeated him in June. For this we applaud you Harry!" At that Harry was met with tremendous applause. There were even a few half-hearted claps from the Slytherins. Dumbledore waved for silence and continued, "As most of you know the Forbidden Forest is off-limits to all students. Magic is still forbidden in the corridors and Mr. Filch once again has a list of banned items posted on his office door including all Zonko's Joke Shop items among many other things. Well I believe that's all. Your schedules will now be distributed. Have a fine day!" With that final sentiment he sat down and talk once again commenced in the Great Hall.

//\\//\\//\\//\\

That evening in the library Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat at a table.

"I can't believe they gave us so much homework on the first day." Ron said surrounded by parchment, quills, ink, and books.

"I know," Harry agreed, "A Transfiguration essay and a Potions essay due next week. I'm already swamped."

"Would you two stop complaining? We always have homework on the first day. Besides it's our seventh year. We have to be prepared for the N.E.W.T.'s so it's probably a good thing we have so much homework. We'll be better prepared." Hermione said.

"Ugh Hermione. Why do you always have to be so bloody logical? We know we're always going to get a ton of homework but we like complaining." Harry reasoned.

"Yup. It makes us feel better. Plus it helps us procrastinate." Ron said earning a disapproving glare from Hermione. He looked back down and continued working on his essay. He felt a kick from under the table and looked up to see Harry giving him a meaningful glance and shifting his eyes to Hermione. Ron could nearly hear him saying _Hurry up Ron or I'll do it for you..._ Ron sighed and pretended to look for something.

"Hey Hermione can you help me look for a book?" Ron asked. _It was a horrible excuse,_ he thought, _but it might work._

"Can't you get Harry to help you?" She asked impatiently. _Or not_.

"I'm no good at finding books in here. I don't get the system. Will you just help him so we can finish and get out of here?" Harry countered. _Harry saves the day again_.

"Oh fine." she huffed. "But let's take care f this quickly. I want to finish my homework." She stalked off behind a bookshelf.

"Remember our agreement Ron." Harry whispered as Ron followed her.

"I know, I know." He replied. He walked into the maze of bookshelves and saw Hermione waiting for him.

"Well?" she asked.

"Er. Well what?" Ron said, completely forgetting his reason for dragging her off.

"What book do you need Ron? We don't have all night." She said impatiently.

"Oh...er...about that. I didn't really need a book. I...er...wanted to ask you something." He stammered nervously.

"What is it?" she said glancing at her watch.

"I...er...I was wondering if...er...you wanted to maybe...if you wanted to maybe...Oh God I can't do this!" he said hating himself as he said it.

"Ron what is it? What's the matter?" Hermione said softening a little. "You can tell me."

"Iwaswonderingifyoudmaybegooutwithmesometime." He said in a rush.

"What was that? Could you speak a little slower?" She said looking confused.

"I was wondering if maybe you'd like to go out with me sometime?" He said slower this time.

"Go out as in on a date?" She asked.

_Oh God what is she thinking? What if she doesn't like me. Shit, shit, shit!!! I can't do this. What ever possibly possessed me to think I even might be able to go through with it. Fuck I hate myself sometimes. I. Am. A. Stupid. Git!!!!_ He thought, a horrified look crossing his face.

Hermione noticed the look and got worried. "Ron? Are you alright?"

"Oh God I'm sorry. Yeah I'm fine. Yes...on a date. If you want I mean. Because if you don't...that's okay too." he said trying to make up for his earlier horror. _Ugh no it's not. Why the hell did I say that?_

"Oh Ron I don't know how to say this but..."she trailed off.

_Holy. Fucking. Shit. She's going to turn me down and I'm going to be screwed. Nothing's going to be the same ever again...Dammit Harry. He always gets to me. The bastard, _he thought. "Just say it." _No don't say whatever it is you want to say. I'll be hurt and I know it. And you know it. That's why you're hesitating,_ he wanted to say...but he couldn't. Not with out embarrassing himself that is. And he didn't want to do that. _But what is she going to say?_ She was still hesitating so he spoke up again. "Really Hermione you can say it. We've always told each other everything. Why stop now?" _All these lies. I don't want to hear the truth..._

"Exactly Ron. I don't know if I want to ruin that. I do like you I really, _really_ do but...Oh I don't know if we dated it might be different. I want to believe me...but I'm scared." she explained.

Ron's heart leapt. _She does like me. She really does._ "So is that a yes?" he asked.

She gulped and nodded. "Yeah. I guess it is a yes." Ron grinned and hugged her. _Oh my God!! She said yes!!!! This is the best day of my life!! I guess Harry was right._

Hermione grabbed Ron's hand and led him back to the table. Harry looked up and Ron nodded. Harry had the good grace to just sit and looked pleased with himself, but Ron knew he'd be talking later. Wanting to know everything that happened. Word for word. That's just the kind of guy Harry was. _My last year at Hogwarts is off to a good start_


End file.
